Jason Whitlock Article from the Kansas City Star - Spread The Iris: All Ron & Fez ALL The Time

*Viggen* · 04-12-2007, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Imus isnt the real bad guy
Instead of wasting time on irrelevant shock jock, black leaders need to be fighting a growing gangster culture.
By JASON WHITLOCK - Columnist

Thank you, Don Imus. Youve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem.

Youve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality.

Youve given Vivian Stringer and Rutgers the chance to hold a nationally televised recruiting celebration expertly disguised as a news conference to respond to your poor attempt at humor.

Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victimhood, protest like its 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.

The bigots win again.

While were fixated on a bad joke cracked by an irrelevant, bad shock jock, Im sure at least one of the marvelous young women on the Rutgers basketball team is somewhere snapping her fingers to the beat of 50 Cents or Snoop Doggs or Young Jeezys latest ode glorifying nappy-headed pimps and hos.

I aint saying Jesse, Al and Vivian are gold-diggas, but they dont have the heart to mount a legitimate campaign against the real black-folk killas.

It is us. At this time, we are our own worst enemies. We have allowed our youths to buy into a culture (hip hop) that has been perverted, corrupted and overtaken by prison culture. The music, attitude and behavior expressed in this culture is anti-black, anti-education, demeaning, self-destructive, pro-drug dealing and violent.

Rather than confront this heinous enemy from within, we sit back and wait for someone like Imus to have a slip of the tongue and make the mistake of repeating the things we say about ourselves.

Its embarrassing. Dave Chappelle was offered $50 million to make racially insensitive jokes about black and white people on TV. He was hailed as a genius. Black comedians routinely crack jokes about white and black people, and we all laugh out loud.

Im no Don Imus apologist. He and his tiny companion Mike Lupica blasted me after I fell out with ESPN. Imus is a hack.

But, in my view, he didnt do anything outside the norm for shock jocks and comedians. He also offered an apology. That shouldve been the end of this whole affair. Instead, its only the beginning. Its an opportunity for Stringer, Jackson and Sharpton to step on victim platforms and elevate themselves and their agenda$.

I watched the Rutgers news conference and was ashamed.

Martin Luther King Jr. spoke for eight minutes in 1963 at the March on Washington. At the time, black people could be lynched and denied fundamental rights with little thought. With the comments of a talk-show host most of her players had never heard of before last week serving as her excuse, Vivian Stringer rambled on for 30 minutes about the amazing season her team had.

Somehow, were supposed to believe that the comments of a man with virtually no connection to the sports world ruined Rutgers wonderful season. Had a broadcaster with credibility and a platform in the sports world uttered the words Imus did, I could understand a level of outrage.

But an hourlong press conference over a man who has already apologized, already been suspended and is already insignificant is just plain intellectually dishonest. This is opportunism. This is a distraction.

In the grand scheme, Don Imus is no threat to us in general and no threat to black women in particular. If his words are so powerful and so destructive and must be rebuked so forcefully, then what should we do about the idiot rappers on BET, MTV and every black-owned radio station in the country who use words much more powerful and much more destructive?

I dont listen or watch Imus show regularly. Has he at any point glorified selling crack cocaine to black women? Has he celebrated black men shooting each other randomly? Has he suggested in any way that its cool to be a baby-daddy rather than a husband and a parent? Does he tell his listeners that theyre suckers for pursuing education and that theyre selling out their race if they do?

When Imus does any of that, call me and Ill get upset. Until then, he is what he is a washed-up shock jock who is very easy to ignore when youre not looking to be made a victim.

No. We all know where the real battleground is. We know that the gangsta rappers and their followers in the athletic world have far bigger platforms to negatively define us than some old white man with a bad radio show. Theres no money and lots of danger in that battle, so Jesse and Al are going to sit it out.
To reach Jason Whitlock, call (816) 234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com

What a great Article!

BoniMaroni · 04-12-2007, 09:58 AM

Thats a wonderful fucking article. Great find!

2nd Sweetest Boy · 04-12-2007, 10:01 AM

This makes my Nipples Hard. But I have to come to the defense of one person, knowing the real politics of the school I have to say that, that whole long winded speech probably wasn't Stringers idea. It was more then likely the President of the Schools idea. As I've said before he's a Douche bag, and she's a relatively level headed person. Most likely she was upset (and rightfully so) and in a cloud of confusion (if you will) had that speech suggested to her, and she ran with it.

BAM · 04-12-2007, 10:01 AM

that was a great article... finally a black man in the media with the balls to stand up to this bullshit.... bravo to him

i think we should all call or email him with our support...

Jason Whitlock (816) 234-4869
jwhitlock@kcstar.com

BoniMaroni · 04-12-2007, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAM

that was a great article... finally a black man in the media with the balls to stand up to this bullshit.... bravo to him

i think we should all call or email him with our support...

Jason Whitlock (816) 234-4869
jwhitlock@kcstar.com

Just did. Im sure his email in-box will be filled up in no time.

*Viggen* · 04-12-2007, 10:08 AM

I also sent an email...

Brainwart · 04-12-2007, 10:30 AM

TriviaGuy · 04-12-2007, 11:16 AM

I just read the article online. a lot of truth in it. Al Sharpton never met a camera he didn't like.

Stedman · 04-12-2007, 11:46 PM

i commended him via email. Really wish this guy had a much much louder voice to speak with.

chadinmo · 04-12-2007, 11:53 PM

He is a writer for the local paper here in Kansas City. And he's always been one to speak out against bullshit like this. And a lot of (black) people here give him so much crap because he doesn't automatically take the side of the black people. It's nice that he's getting a little national attention on this. He got fired from ESPN for complaining on air about how they handled something. And then didn't kiss their ass afterwards when they wanted him to apologize.

Brainwart · 04-13-2007, 08:30 AM

He was on the Today show this morning. Merideth Viera talked to the pastor of some church for 4 minutes. Then they went to Matt with this Jason Whitlock guy. The interview lasted for about 45 seconds. Then Matt turned around and talked to some black radio guy and professor for 4 minutes. Way to even out the coverage.

Brainwart · 04-13-2007, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAM

that was a great article... finally a black man in the media with the balls to stand up to this bullshit.... bravo to him

i think we should all call or email him with our support...

Jason Whitlock (816) 234-4869
jwhitlock@kcstar.com

Bump. Heres his info again in case you missed it.